Baby Ruby was kidnapped in the forest surrounding her sprawling mountain. Upon return, she married four times, each of her husbands dying a tragic and somewhat suspicious death. She then adopted a child and lived out her days as a somewhat God like figure of her small town. Years later, her child is summoned to return to the mansion and fortune that has been passed down to him. He brings his wife, who has her own secrets and gets reacquainted with his family, who are selfish and hateful. The mansion brings about horrible things in all who enter, what will it bring out in Cam and Jules?

This was a 3.5 ⭐️.
I did enjoy this, but the first half is very, very slow and somewhat boring. Despite being a shorter book, it feels long and I would never call this a thriller. The writing is good, there are dual perspectives with Cam and Jules, but also Ruby’s letters which offer a look into the past. All this is interwoven with letters, articles and more that give the story, and history, context. The story really picks up around the 55% mark, and then goes with a ton of unexpected twists and turns. I definitely enjoyed the second half of the story more than the first. There isn’t a lot of on the edge of your seat kind of tension, it’s more of a slow mystery than a thriller. The story is good, I enjoyed the ending and the twists.
Read this is you enjoy unlikeable and unreliable characters and a good mystery with many twists.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The twists throughout held my interest the entire time and I really enjoyed how they came together. I have been in a thriller reading slump lately and this was just what needed to break it!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I am speechless. Everyone has a secret. Nobody can be trusted. There are twists until the vary last page.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins did not disappoint. From the first page I was completely enthralled in the stories of Camden, Jules and Ruby. This book contained one twist after another and left me with goosebumps.

Told in multiple points of view, the reader is left questioning every character throughout the entire story. In the end, you will be left surprised in the greatest way. I highly recommend this book!

Rachel Hawkins’ writing style continues to age like fine wine. I first read RECKLESS GIRLS and it was a little juvenile, a little high stakes low reward for me. Then I read THE VILLA as an ARC last year and was pleasantly surprised at the way pop culture references were woven into the story for greater depth and meaning. Then I was approved for THE HEIRESS and my standards were raised yet again! This story had all the elements I loved from THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, along with murder, kidnapping, and hidden motives. It was dark without being heavy, a quick and satisfying thrill, and didn’t sacrifice plot pacing for the beautiful intricacies in the story and character relationships. Well, well done!!

Rachel Hawkins you did it again! There has not been a RH book I didn't love! The Heiress had me anticipating the next page before I finished the last!

Delightful popcorn of a book! I devoured this in under 24 hours - so fun, engaging, and impossible to put down. Told through alternating viewpoints of a couple with secrets, as well as through letters and news articles, the format of the book doesn’t miss either. As for the plot - well yes, it is beyond improbable but put that aside and it is so fun to untangle the web of deceit the characters have spun.

3.75⭐️ (rounded up)

I could not put this book down; I actually read it in one sitting. This is my first book by the author, and I will definitely read more in the future. There is a lot of buildup and drama in this story, which might have lowered my rating slightly. I really enjoyed the alternating povs and timelines, I think it added a lot to the story.

I definitely recommend to readers who like the drama aspect and stories about complicated families. To me, it did read a little more like a drama than a thriller which is what I was expecting. However, the last 20% did really pack a punch!

Thank you for this arc!

I have always enjoyed books by Rachel Hawkins and this was no different! Super engaging and atmospheric on page 1. I enjoyed both POVs as well as the letters from Ruby. All the twists had me turning pages to figure it out.

Absolutely amazing! I loved the letters throughout from Ruby admitting her sins and the way the story unfolded from Camden and Jules’s perspectives. The ending was (to me) great. A little predictable but I didn’t care. I loved every moment!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

I enjoyed the roller coaster ride that this book took me on! It was fast paced and mysterious! It took a couple chapters for me to get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked! Ruby sort of reminded me of Evelyn Hugo too.

The book is told through multiple POVs: Cam, Jules (Cam’s wife), Ruby (through her letters). The only critique I have is that I couldn’t really connect with Cam or Jules. They felt sort of flat to me. But I throughly enjoyed this book!

This book has a great sense of place and atmosphere. It is a fun setting to be in and has an underlying threatening feel to the book where it feels like you don't know what is lurking around the corner. However, I wish the twists and reveals were more fun. The central twists of the book made the characters less interesting to follow. Perhaps the underlying premise is that money is corrupting, but it didn't coalesce as a book in the way some of Hawkins' other books have.

Could not bring myself to finish this one, the premise was promising but there was nothing gripping or interesting enough to get me to finish it. I loved her other book Reckless Girls and loved it but this one unfortunately fell very flat to me. Still two stars because I do think others would maybe enjoy it.

This book is very good! I loved the characters, and didn’t want to put it down. Love her style of writing. I’m not a huge fan of multiple point of view books in general but it didn’t seem to bother me too much in this one!!! The drama and the thrills!!! 4/5!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
This book is very good! I loved the characters, and didn’t want to put it down. Her writing was excellent and the multiple points of view made the book outstanding ! If you love thrilling twisted family drama this book is for you! I’m not spoiling anything so you have to go read it!!

@stmartinspress
@ladyhawkins
@netgalley

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a twisty suspense drama, brimming with family secrets and unexplained mysteries. The story is set against the stunning backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, a place that holds a special spot in my heart thanks to a recent visit.

The book dives quickly and deeply into some wild family drama and complicated relationships, and I was immediately hooked on the story of Camden, the adopted son of the mysterious late Ruby McTavish, and his wife, Jules, who has her heart set on helping him claim his inheritance.

The intricate web of family secrets and relationships kept me flipping pages, even if at times I wished for a bit more depth to those relationships - they are spoken about at length, but an additional 60 pages or so to delve deeper into their intricate relationships and backstories would have elevated this book even more and given those relationships a more tangible quality. At only 304 pages, the novel definitely felt a bit brief.

All in all, this was an entertaining ride, though, and I was pleasantly surprised considering I wasn’t a huge fan of the last Hawkins novel I read. "The Heiress" was a different story entirely, though - a gripping read that mixed mystery, romance, and some juicy family secrets that totally satisfied!

The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins :

The premise of the story held immense potential, promising a captivating journey of discovery, intrigue, and perhaps a touch of mystery. However, as I delved deeper into the pages, it became apparent that the pacing of the narrative was a significant stumbling block. The pacing felt slow and often plodding, which hindered the flow of the story. The lack of action in both the initial stages and the middle of the book was a disappointment, as I found myself yearning for more engagement and momentum to drive the plot forward.

One of the key aspects that stood out was the author's attempt to build a compelling climax. While the anticipation for the climax was present, it took an unreasonably long time to materialize. This prolonged buildup tested my patience and at times, made it difficult to maintain a consistent level of interest. The delayed gratification, while occasionally effective, seemed stretched beyond its optimal point.

On the positive side, Hawkins' writing style exhibited moments of elegance and finesse. Her ability to craft vivid descriptions and evoke emotions was evident, making certain scenes resonate powerfully. The character development, although affected by the pacing, did manage to offer glimpses into the intricate personalities of the cast.

"The Heiress" is a novel that comes with both strengths and weaknesses. While the book showcases glimpses of the author's writing prowess and the potential for a captivating storyline, the slow pacing and lack of action throughout the majority of the narrative dampened the overall experience. Despite the drawbacks, I remain appreciative of the opportunity to read an advance copy, and I hope that the novel's elements could resonate more effectively with different readers.

Thank you NetGalley and Saint Martin’s press for providing me an ARC in return for an unbiased review.

A bingey book about a wealthy family’s history and the secrets that have been buried for years… up until now.

This was a strange book for sure. At times, I thought the plot dragged and was confused on the point of the story, but then in hindsight realized how meticulous Hawkins was in setting up the twists, which were great. I enjoyed the alternating POVs, especially how we got letters from the past that detailed the heir of the estate’s life as well as the present from two likable characters who were both clearly hiding their own secrets. Overall, I always applaud Hawkins for her unique stories and if you’ve been a fan of her other books, I’d def give this a chance!

Read if you like:
-Suspense with gothic vibes
-Slow burns
-Family drama
-Creepy mansions
-Rich people problems

Thank you SMP for the ARC. Pub 1/9/24

Thank you so much to NetGalley for my ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The twists kept coming all the way until the end. A load of secrets surrounding a rich family with a beautiful house. Who will inherit it once Ruby McTavish is gone? It will keep you guessing and wondering who has any redeeming qualities after everything is said and done...

I’ve really enjoyed Hawkins last three books, and The Heiress is no different. The cover and honestly the book itself were giving a much darker vibe of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I appreciated how it was broken into multiple POV and we get snippets of letters and news articles mixed in, which I loved.

There’s so much mystery surrounding the infamous Ruby and the Ashby House. What happened to her husbands? What happened to drive MC Camden away and why doesn’t he want to go back? Hawkins is a clever writer, which is why I enjoy her stories so much. She weaves a twisted and binge-worthy read with this one. I’ll definitely be recommending this one to my mystery and thriller lovers.